Bread-testing method



1929- R. L. COREY 1,725,850

BREAD TESTING METHOD Original Filed March 12, 1925 IN NTOR A? 4m ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES ROBERT L. CORBY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BREAD-TESTING METHOD.

Original application filed March 12,

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a quick andsubstantially accurate.

method for determining the volume and density of loaves when treating bread and the like.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. 7 I The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation and order of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others thereof, which will be exemplified in the process hereinafter disclosed, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section through a baking pan containing a loaf of bread;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a loaf divided along a longitudinal plane;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a cutting device whereby one of the steps contemplated by the invention may be performed;

Fig. 4 is a section of the device along the lines 4-4 in thedirection of the arrows indicated in Fig. 3.

4.0 Heretofore, when testing bread, the usual method of determining the volume of the loaf was to measure the quantity of a material such as flax seed displaced by the loaf. The results secured by this method, however, are merely roughly approximate, and to some extent are misleading, so that computations based thereon such as for example, a computation whereby the density of a loaf of bread is ascertained, are unreliable. Furthermore, this method gives no information as to the path of expansion of the dough as indicated by the shape of the baked loaf.

The present invention contemplates dividing a loaf of bread or the like along a plane 1925, Serial No. 14,875. Divided and this application filed January I 29, 1926. Serial No. 84,646.

extending adjacent to or through that portion of the loaf which conforms to the shape of the baking pan so as to produce one portion of regular contour, the dimensions of which can be readily ascertained, and another portion of irregular contour. When it is desired to determine the expansion characteristics of a mass of dough, this plane will preferably extend parallel to the bottom surface of the loaf and through the innermost point thereon where the surface of the loaf left the baking pan; but in case it is desired to determine only the volume and density of the whole loaf, the loaf may be out along any plane which extends through the portion thereof having a surface of regular contour.

'In the practice of the invention a loaf 10 which has been baked in a pan 9 is cut along a plane parallel to its bottom surface so as to divide the loaf into a lower or inner portion 11 and an upper or outer portion 12. The dimentions of the baking pan being known, it is only necessaryto ascertain the depth of the inner portion llof the loaf in order that the volume of this portion may be determined, which volume will indicate the extent to which the mass'of dough has expanded outwardly against the walls of the baking pan. Moreover, after the volume of this portion has been ascertained, the portion may be Weighed and the density thereof computed. Inasmuch as the density of a loaf of bread baked under the proper conditions is substantially the same at all portions thereof it will be apparent that the outer portion 12 of the loaf has the same density asthe inner portion 11. After the outer portion 12 is weighed,fthe volume of this portion may therefore be computed by multiplying the density factor obtained in connection with the portion 11 by the weight of the portion 12. Thereafter all that is necessary to obtain an exceedingly accurate cubical measurement of the loaf is to add the volumes of the portions of the loaf obtained in the manner set forth above.

One type of apparatus is here shown whereby an accurate division of a loaf of bread may be obtained and whereby certain of the calculations outlined above may be performed. This apparatus includes a frame 13 comprising a pair of uprights 14 on either side of the base thereof. Each of ly greater than the thickness of the knife;

the slots in the present instance being partially filled with strips 18 whereby their width is reduced.

With a view to holding a loaf of bread in such position that a knife extending through the slots 15 and guided in a vertical path by the uprights 14: may cut the loaf longitudinally, there is provided in the present mstance a holder 19 which is slidably mounted with respect to the frame 13. The holder comprises a base 20, a back 21, a top 22 and sides 23, the inner surfaces of which members correspond in contour to the inner surfaces of the baking pan so that the inner portion of a loaf of bread will fit therein 1n an upright position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, with the fiat or bottom surface of the loaf parallel to the path of travel of the knife 16.

For the purpose of firmly securing the loaf in such position on the holder, there is provided in the present construction a row of spikes 24 projecting upwardly from the base 20, and there are also provided a plurality of rows of spikes 26 supported on the top 22 and each of the sides 23 in such manner as they may be moved into the sides of a loaf positioned against the back 21 of the holder. To this end the rows of spikes 23 are mounted upon cylinders 27 carried by the top and sides of the holder and adapted to be rotated by means of levers 28, which bear against notched guides 29.

In order that the holder 19 may be moved with respect to the frame 13 so as to adjust the relative position of the loaf to the path of travel of the knife 16, there is provided a screw 30 rotatably mounted on an extension 31 on the frame 13 and threaded into an extension 32 011 the holder 19. Now with a view to determining the extent of movement of the holder with respect to the frame and to determining the exact relative positions of the back 21 and the slots 15, there is provided on one side of the frame 13, adjacent the holder 19, a scale 33 which is preferably calibrated so that the distance between successive indications will be the distance which the holder 19 is moved by a single turn of screw 30 and there is provided on the screw 30 a series of calibrations 3& indicating fractions of a'turn, and there is also provided on the holder 19 adjacent the scale 33 and on the extension 32 adjacent the calibrations 3 1, respectively, suitable indicating marks 35 and The scale 33 is preferably tabulated in such a manner that there may be read therefrom the distance between the slots 15 and the back 21 of the holder, or, in other words, the depth of the innerportion 11 of the loaf 10, or in such manner that there may be read directly therefrom the volume of the portion 11 of the loaf.

In order that the sides of the loaf may besecurely held against the lateral movement as the knife is sawed through the same, there is provided inside each of the uprights let a vertically extending clamp 37 which is secured to its respective upright by means of a pair of pins 38 which are slidedly mounted on the upright. The clamps are normally held adjacent the uprights so as to be out of the path of movement of the loaf 10 by means of coiled springs 39, but are movable inwardly against the sides of the loaf by means of suitable screws 40 which may be threaded into the uprights and bear againstthe clamps. The inner surfaces of the clamps 37 are preferably knurled as indicated at 41 so as securely to grip the sides of the loaf without defacing the same.

The operation of the apparatus exemplified is as follows: A loaf of bread which has been baked in a pan such as indicated at 9 is placed on the holder 19 with the bottom surface thereof against the back 21 of the holder and one end of the loaf is pressed downwardly upon the upwardly extending spikes 24. The levers 28 are then moved so as to rotate the cylinders 27 to thrust the spikes 26 into the side and top surfaces of the loaf. The holder 19 is then moved along the frame 13 by means of the screw 30 until the. plane through which the edge of the knife moves, bisects the loaf at the desired point. The screws 10 are then turned to move the clamps 37 against the surfaces of the loaf and'the knife 16 is inserted through the upper portions of the slots 15, pressed against the upper surface of the leaf, and moved downwardly through the same with the usual sawing motion so as to cut the loaf portions 11 and 12 from which the desired determinations can be made in accordance wlth the invention. 7

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 14,876, filed March 12, 1925. The process disclosed herein is particularly applicable for use in conjunction with loaves of bread baked in the special type of bread pan disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 14,875, filed March 12, 1925.

Since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above process without departing from the scope ofthe invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements ofthe scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of determining the expansion characteristics of a mass of dough, which comprises baking the dough in a pan of suitable proportions, dividing the loaf thereby produced by a cut confined to a plane extending through that point at which the loaf left the pan, weighing the respective portions of the loaf and determining the ratio of the weights of said portions.

2. The method of determining the density of a loaf of bread having a substantially uniform density throughout, which comprises baking a loaf in a pan of regular contour, dividing the loaf by a cut confined to a plane into portions, one of which conforms in contour with a horizontal segment of a pan, ascertaining the cubic capacity of said segment of the pan, weighing the last mentioned portion of the loaf, and dividing the latter weight by said cubic capacity.

3. The method of determining the density of a loaf of bread having a substantially uniform density throughout, which comprises baking a loaf in a pan of known dimensions, dividing the loaf by a cut confined to a single plane so as to remove therefrom that portion thereof which was out of contact with the walls of the pan at one or more points on its surface, ascertaining the volume of the remaining portion, weighing the same and computing the density thereof.

4. The method of determining the volume of a loaf of bread having a substantially uniform density throughout, which comprises baking a loaf in a pan of known dimensions, dividing the loaf by a cut confined to a single plane so as to remove therefrom that portion thereof which was out of contact with the walls of the pan at one or more points on its surface, ascertaining the volume and weight of the remaining portion and computing the density factor thereof, weighing said removed portion, dividing the weight of said removed portion by the density factor to obtain the volume of the latter portion, and adding the volumes of the respective portions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT L. COREY. 

